Jean and Jeff’s European Adventure

A quick weekend trip to our favourite city.  The continent in Summer, it was cold and chilly and then lovely and sunny the day we departed for London.  This time we toured the Pantheon, some churches and explored more of our favourite neighbourhood - the Latin quarter.

I finally tracked down Square Jean Falck.  Looked like in the old days it may have been grander, but now is a car park in a gritty area of Paris. Click on photos to enlarge.

The Seine by night and by day…

Exterior and interior of the Pantheon

  The underground crypts.

Church, a sketch in progress..

Jeff has iconic Paris in his palm and backpack!!

Jeff had to be in Madrid in July (uggh…) so we tacked on an extra day and I joined him.  We lucked out with the weather, it was unusually cool for them, still hot for us, but manageable.  It was nice to be in Castellano territory - after being completely thrown by signs, etc.  in Barcelona.

We finally were able to use points on Starwood for a decent hotel and stayed at the Palace (Westin). Lovely hotel, in a very central location. Directly across from El Prado and a super botanical park.  My Mother told me years ago, at age 8 - I cried the whole way through the Prado museum, so we decided to skip it anyway : )  

We saw the most amazing Flamenco show at Casa Patas, reputed as one of the best and most autentico in Madrid.  Read a review here. To say we were blown away, is putting it mildly.

We keep agreeing that the Spanish siesta rocks, and the US should adopt immediately…much more relaxed folks..

While Jeff was working, I found solace from the city noise and heat and paid a euro to enter the park across from the Prado and write postcards. Photos below - click to enlarge:

While walking and on the double decker bus tour - city scenes: (we were really impressed with all the beautiful tile work and wall paintings)

Our hotel, Westin Palace.

The Catedral de la Almudena.

The amazing ceiling inside the cathedral, 2 flamenco guitarists in the cathedral courtyard.  Their melody was haunting and floated all around..best free concert in a long time.

On the walk up the hill from the cathedral, we came across these ruins.. near the park Emir Mohamed 1. Not sure if Roman…

distant view of cathedral

more beautiful, random tile work

 In the Retiro, Madrid’s central park.

 Interior of the train station, read in the guide book it was a destination.  Gorgeous - with a tropical rain forest, we got misted as we walked by!

Jeff and I have been watching the TDF on TV together for the last few years and were so excited that this year, for the first time in over 20+ years, the grand depart and time trials were going to be in London.  We got some photos of the parades going along the Thames and stationed ourselves at the end of the time trials. We watched them come in one at a time and then gasp for breath after they finished, quite exciting!  Jeff took a real camera, I shot with the little point and shoot and took movies. Click on pictures to enlarge..

That blue blur is a rider..

After each time trial, the riders could barely breathe and the press just surrounded them..craaaazy.

July found us busy with 2 sets of visitors.  Firstly our SF friends Felipe and Brad stayed at Chez Pedigo. They were en route to Dubrovnik, influenced by our trip perhaps : )?  Upon their return via London, we all saw a fabulous production of Billy Elliot in the West End.

Jeff’s parents arrived in London after a super trip in Scotland and England.  As they were not jetlagged, we had decided to have a big Bastille Day party - so they met about 30 or so of our ex-pat friends.  Jeff’s friend Ken from the bay area was in town too and was able to join the fun as well.  We took Bob and Masako to the lesser known parts of London - including the canal boat ride in Maida Vale - to Regent’s Park. This was made all the more fun by the tour of school children on our boat - they were so funny. (Pics below)  Had a dinner at our local Yakitori in Hampstead with our friend’s Ted and Mari - and Masako proclaimed it “very authentic”. Jin kichi on Heath Street.  Jin Kichi.

We toured Fenton House in Hampstead. They have a wonderful collection of harpsichords and lovely gardens. It is a National Trust property, so we go for free.  See pictures below.  Country Life magazine describes it as “London’s most enchanting country house” Fenton House - Hampstead.

And for the gastronomic delight of their trip, we took them to Borough Market, oh the cheeses, olives, pies, meats, wines!!!

My friend Viviane from NY Ford Foundation days arrived with Joe after a cancelled flight and nervy drive from Heathrow.  With only a day in London before visiting her parents and family in Mallorca, she drove us out to Alton to visit an old family friend from her days in Belgium.  Dear old Englishman - David.  His house is in the town’s history books, picture below.  What a wonderful visit, we made his week as he proclaimed. Quite spry at 80+ years.

Jeff, David, Viviane and Joe.

His famous “Old House”

We joined Viviane and Joe a few days later in Mallorca.  What dramatic landscapes, we had no idea the island varied so much from North to South etc. 

Harbour of Palma, largest city in Mallorca and originally a Roman camp.

Bellver Castle in Palma.

Countryside drive into town of Valledemossa, home and host to such luminaries as; George Sand, Chopin, Ruben Dario…

Hidden cove by the Torrent.

 When dry, people picnic and there are outdoor concerts.  When rainy season, look out!

Gorgeous aqua marine water…

  Sunset over Palma..

  Run away….!

 Wheeeee!

Viviane and Joe discuss the finer points of sand…

Ya gotta do it at least once.  So given that our friend Laura had arranged for her Alumni Club of Notre Dame to attend and have a car park party, we schlepped out in our finery on the train from Waterloo Station, barely got a seat and watched the hilarity of everyone drinking their champers on they hour + ride down.  We found the party in the car park after awhile and then made our way in, bets were made, pounds were lost.  When the horses come around the corner it really is exciting, even the understated British announcer goes a couple decibels higher in his reporting.

“Tailgaiting” with Notre Dame alumni club, Conrad, Rob, ? and Jeff.

The masses, the dapper man in his morning suit! Rented in the nick of time…that is another story ; )

Pink, it is the new black you know!

Best advice, leave before 5pm, drunken fools abound..

My dear friend Frankie came to visit mid June and escaped the heat of Maryland in the states.  We showed her all the sights from a local perspective and she rallied to the adventures.  Our friends Gwinne and Diana from SF sailed into town, literally.  They had taken a voyage on the Queen Mary, so we shot down on the train to meet them in Portsmouth and we hopped on the ferry to the Isle of Wight for a few hours. They then continued onto France with another ferry connection.  What we saw in Ryde, on the Isle of Wight was just a hint of what other delights abound.  We plan to get back and explore more.

Portsmouth harbour, and the bridge from ferry to Isle of Wight. Diana, Gwinne, Frankie and Jeff..

Ryde, Isle of Wight.

  View from our hotel window at the Hilton.  Great location, just a short walk to Pile Gate. We were in the new building and loved our room, large, quiet and the buffet breakfast was super!

We arrived in Dubrovnik for a 5 day holiday over the bank holiday.  This was my third visit to Dubrovnik - first time post communism.  In 20 years, other than a huge amount of tourist shops, it didn’t seem much different.  The Pearl of the Adriatic is still a gem.         

Around the harbour and outside the walled city.

The walk along the cliffs to the port, about 30 mins from Dubrovnik. We caught a ferry to the diminutive island of Kolocep - very serene island. Had glimpses of a few large homes in the hills, saw 2 hotels and not much else!

On the island of Kolocep and at the one taverna that was open for 10 mins after we arrived and then promptly closed.   Waiting for the ferry back to Dubrovnik, the skies turned dark and rain threatened, but we never saw it.

Day trip to Montenegro (Herceg Novi and Bay of Kotor)

On the 3rd day we decided to rent a car and cross the border into Montenegro…little did we know that they were celebrating their one year anniversary of being a “new country”..  It was back to euros and a cyrillic alphabet. We both agreed it has the most gorgeous natural beauty  - with fjords, and mountain vistas and the requisite walled city.

Port town of Herceg Novi..

Bay of Kotor and walled city of Kotor

Monastery on the bay that one can visit.

We took the mountain route home, got silly lost and had a rather hairy ride in the dark on the moutain roads (or lack thereof) while having an uninvited game of chicken with a car full of not so nice locals.  We survived..nothing like a little fear/adrenaline rush!

Wow, as much fun as we have been having here in the UK and our travels on the continent, there really is NO PLACE LIKE HOME!  Even though our house in SF is being rented and we were renters ourself while visiting, it was still home.   We had a fabulous time eating at ALL of our favourite restaurants, being with our pals. I flew to my parents in Seattle for 2 days and we visited with Jeff’s parents in CA. Jeff worked the first week and our second week was pure vacation!

We hosted a happy hour for about 25 of our closest friends at the St. Regis hotel bar….that is one surefire way to get maximum time with friends.  Then of course we had dinners/lunches all around.  Our suitcases were not the only things that went back on the plane a bit heavier : )

I had a photoshoot while home and even showed up as a surprise guest at my old bookclub. No, I had not read the book!

We did not want to stay in a hotel for the duration, so after a few painful attempts to find vacation rentals, Jeff found out that one of our favourite homes that we marvel at in Buena Vista Park neighbourhood, had a rental unit in the downstairs.  The owners Wade and Greg have created a wonderful rental, less $ than most hotels, and you have all the comforts of home.  Check out the exterior…most of you in SF will probably recognise it.  45 Upper Terrace.

We spent a night in Healdsburg and did some wine tasting, wonderful as always..and the weather cooperated perfectly.   Our last day could not have been better, our friend Michelle invited us and other friends to join her and her dog Rowdy on her sailboat.  The next 5 hours sailing on the bay were stellar.  Jeff was in his element (literally!) and Michelle was psyched to have a seasoned hand to help.

Michelle                                       Gwinne

Me, Diana and Rowdy

Jeff and Steve (city in the background)

I was asked to be a vendor for the first year of the member’s marketplace. I was one of two photographers exhibiting.  I met the other photographer that day, and we have been fast friends since.  Christine Welsand has since moved back to the US to the Minneapolis area, and if you are looking for a wonderful portrait photographer for your family or children, please visit her site: 

Photography by Christine Welsand

In preparation, I made magnets, greeting cards and mouse pads from the photos I had taken of Hampstead.  I made composites for the magnets and cards, and those sold like hotcakes!  Here is the composite photo - they are images from Flask Walk and Well Walk. Easily recognisable in Hampstead as people in the 1800s used to come to Hampstead to “take the waters”, the water was bottled on this thoroughfare.

The other member’s products ranged from jewellery, books, handcrafted belts, and services such as life coaching.  It was a very successful event and the first time I have actually had items for sale.